Device for locating sunken vessels.



.APPLICATION FILED APR. l2, 1909.

Patented Jan. l1, 1910.

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N FFICE.

CHARLES VROMAN AND FRANK L. HAMILTON, OF SASALITO, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR LCATING SUNKEN VESSELS.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES VnoMAN and FRANK L. HAMILTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Sausalito, in the countyl of Marin and State of California, have invented certain new and useful linprovements in Devices for Locating Sunken Vessels; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for locating stinken vessels or other objects and consists of various details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a sectional view of the apparatus held upon a rack. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device as it will appear floating on the surface of the water, and Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through one of the flanged ends of the device. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section through the device.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter,.A designates a cylindrical in outline buoy which is hollow and having two circular in outline flanges B, one at each end thereof which are also hollow.

D designates a bar which is fastened to the circumference of the buoy and to which an anchoring rope E is adapted to be fastened.

Each end of the device has a closure F which is hermetically sealed and projecting from the outer face of each of said closures is a spindle G adapted to form means whereby the buoy may be supported in a rack when not in use and one end of one of said spindles is angular in outline and adapted to receive a crank whereby the device may be rotated as a reel for the purpose of winding up the rope which winds about the circumference of the buoy between said flanges.

Mounted within the chamber of one of the flanged ends of the device is a hermetically sealed receptacle K access to which is through an opening K adapted to have a cap fitting over the same and making the entrance to said receptacle air and water tight.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentd JaIL 11, 1910. Application filed April 12, 1909.

Serial No. 489,436.

Referring to the transverse sectional view of the drawings, it will be noted that each end of the device has a partition O therein forming a compartment L adapted to contain water for ballast and apertures J are formed in the walls leading into said compartments through which water may pass. By means of this ballast, the compartments L will be held so that the hermetically sealed receptacle will be positioned at the highest part of the buoy. An aperture I leads through the wall of the flange and into the interior of the buoy and is provided with a check valve I provided for the purpose of allowing the interior space of the buoy to be filled with air to increase the buoyancy of the apparatus, which should be made preferably out of any suitable non-corrosive metal.

When the apparatus is not in use, it is adapted to rest upon a rack in the manner shown in Fig. l of the drawings with the rope which is xed to and wound about the buoy acting as a reel rather than about a fixed reel separate from the buoy and the other end of the rope anchored to the ship or other article to be located. Any records may be deposited in the receptacle and sealed, and in the event of the ship or other article sinking, the buoy will fioat from the vessel or other article and carry with it the coiled rope and, as the water enters the compartments forming a ballast, said receptacle will be held at the highest part of the buoy. By reeling the rope upon the buoy and allowing the same to unwind as the buoy floats away, all danger of the rope becoming entangled with the rigging of the ship is avoided, which is likely to be the case where the rope is reeled independently of the buoy.

By the provision of a buoy made as shown and described lying lengthwise in the water and ballasted as set forth, the same will ride upon the surface of the water so that it may be conveniently seen at a distance and will not be continually tipping over by the action of waves as would be the case were it on end.

lVhat we claim to be new is 1. A device for locating sunken objects comprising a hollow buoy adapted to contain air, the circumference of which forms a reel for an anchorage rope, the ends of the buoy being enlarged and chambered and provided with water compartments to which apertures lead through the circumference thereof and afford means :tor ballasting the larged ends of the buoy, pintles projecting buoy, and e hermeticelly sealed receptacle mounted Within the chambered portion of l metlcally sealed receptacle Within the latter,

the buoy, as set forth.

2. A device for locating sunken objects comprising a hollouv buoy adapted to contain air, the circumference of which forms 1 reel for an anchorage rope, the ends of the buoy being enlarged and chambered und provided with Water compartments to which apertures lead through the circumference thereof and afford means for ballesting the buoy, hermetically sealed closures to the en- I i i l l l l 1 i one 'from each of said closures, and a heras set forth.

ln testimony whereof We hereunto alix our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES VRGMAN. FRANK L. HAMILTGN.

`Witnesses:

LoUis L. ZANZER, JIM SIMPSON. 

